Message from jcontant

[Anonymous]

In the article "Beneath Booming Cities..." an engineer explained that the source of the water crisis is China's determination to remain focused on the economy (in contrast to Israel, whose inhabitants believe that water is more important than life). This emphasis on economic prosperity seems a common theme throughout many of the articles. For example, the last article discusses China's hunger for natural resources, at the risk of providing countries like Angola and Sudan with alternatives to cooperating with international organizations.

Similarly, a number of articles cited South Korea's focus on economic prosperity, and the ways in which this focus also seems to come at a great cost. South Korea's hesitation in uniting with North Korea results largely from its inability to absorb North Korea's poverty. And Korea's initial one-child policy was a result of its focus on economic development; interestingly, their current aim to increase fertility is also a response to economic concerns.

Yet China and South Korea's economic motivations remind me of how universal these concerns are, since much of our country's current difficulties have evolved from a similarly narrow focus on economic expansion. But the "Beneath Booming Cities" article sounds a warning bell for us all, as we examine the long-terms expenses of short-term gratifications, symbolized by the gradual draining of the Noth China Plain.